[ad_1]
By Siviwe Feketha 
42m ago
Johannesburg – The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is scheduled to meet on Monday following comments from a senior leader about the death of presidential minister Jackson Mthembu.
The party’s provincial spokesperson, Nhlakanipho Ntombela, told Independent Media on Sunday that the provincial executive committee (PEC) would discuss a request for suspension of Khabo Nene, a member of the party’s Mzala Nxumalo regional executive committee, who was allegedly caught in a voice. note celebrating Mthembu’s death.
The request was made by the Pongola and Vryheid regional committees.
In the voice memo that circulated on social media, a person believed to be Nene could be heard complaining about Mthembu and saying that they are angry, hurt and bleeding from “people like Jackson who have been bragging on television talking as if they weren’t going to die. “
Ntombela said: “The PEC will deliberate on this matter and make recommendations to the provincial disciplinary commission to discipline that member.”
Meanwhile, Mthembu was hailed on Sunday for his ability to fuse both humility and the ability to openly oppose irregularities within the ANC and the government as he was buried in his hometown of eMalahleni in Mpumalanga.
Mthembu, a veteran communicator and former whip parliamentary head of the ruling party, died on Thursday at the age of 62 from complications related to Covid-19.
He has received high praise, including from opposition parties and civil society, for his humility and outspoken opposition to wrongdoing, including corruption.
At his funeral, South Africa’s political heavyweights braved the rainy weather while paying their last respects to Mthembu.
Delivering the eulogy, President Cyril Ramaphosa described Mthembu as an honest man who had never shied away from standing up for what he believed to be correct, as well as the problems that plagued the ANC.
“Mthembu was a kind and gentle soul, but when it came to corruption, selfish leadership, blatant abuse of power, you would see another side of him. He was never fooled by the false smiles and empty promises of those seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor. He called them and didn’t care if they were more powerful than him, ”he said.
Until his death, Mthembu had been the public face and voice of the cabinet in the fight against Covid-19 and chaired cabinet briefings on measures taken by the government to contain its spread.
Ramaphosa said that he had been consumed by grief and grief over the death of Mthembu, whom he described as his good friend and loyal member of his cabinet.
He said Mthembu had been a source of strength and reassurance for the country, as he diligently “carried our message of compassion and solidarity throughout the country” during the pandemic.
“He was at the forefront of our national effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the same pandemic that has now claimed its life,” he said.
National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise said that the condolences from the political parties represented in Parliament after Mthembu’s passing had been unusual.
“They had to do it because Jackson wasn’t just a good leader. He was a good leader because he always led. He was a good and great father because he understood that he himself had weaknesses that he was very proud to announce and say that he has overcome, “said Modise.
Within the ANC, Mthembu had been an outspoken critic of former President Jacob Zuma during his second term over allegations of corruption and had played a key role in Ramaphosa’s successful 2017 campaign to lead the party.
Mthembu had led a cohort of leaders who ensured that the Ramaphosa faction garnered a large share of support within the ANC in Mpumalanga under then-provincial president and current vice president David Mabuza.
Zuma’s ties to the controversial Gupta family caused Mthembu and other ANC leaders who had supported him since 2007 to fight him and push against his faction within the party.
Before his death, Mthembu had been scheduled to appear before the Zondo Commission for the Capture of the State, where he was expected to testify on his tenure as ANC parliamentary head whip from 2016 to 2019 and shed light on the events, discussions and the attitude of the ANC caucus and study groups on investigations related to state capture during his mandate.
The commission’s spokesman, Mbuyiselo Stemela, said the chairman of the investigation, Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo, was saddened that he was not able to hear Mthembu’s evidence about his term as the former head of the ANC caucus.
“The president and the commission regret that, with the passing of Mr. Mthembu, the commission completes its work without the benefit of the contribution it would have made with his oral testimony,” Stemela said.
Political Bureau
[ad_2]
